- University of Virginia School of Law Overview
- About the University of Virginia School of Law
- What Does the University of Virginia School of Law Offer?
- Class of 2025 Acceptance Rate and Statistics
- Class of 2021 Post-Graduation Statistics
- University of Virginia School of Law Application Requirements
- UVA School of Law Application Details
- UVA School of Law FAQs
University of Virginia School of Law Overview
The University of Virginia (UVA) School of Law was ranked the eighth best law school in the United States by U.S. News & World Report in 2023. Former Supreme Court Justice James Clark McReynolds, former US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and former FBI director Robert Mueller all attended UVA Law. The school’s notable alumni and distinguished faculty make it the top choice of many aspiring JDs.
UVA Law is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, a college town with deep connections to the entire UVA system. Charlottesville is relatively close to both Richmond and Washington, DC, which provides students with opportunities to extern in these areas.
More than 7,000 people typically apply to UVA Law each year, and only about 680 will get in. Although the school’s low acceptance rate might seem daunting, you should not be deterred if you have strong test scores and a solid GPA. In addition, knowing some key facts about the school can help enrich your application.
In this blog post, we at Stratus provide a comprehensive overview of what you need to know to increase your chances of getting into UVA Law.
About the University of Virginia School of Law
History and ranking
UVA Law is one of the University of Virginia’s 11 schools. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the law school is one of the oldest in the T14, and U.S. News & World Report ranked UVA Law eighth in the publication’s 2023 Best Law Schools list.
Acceptance rate and class size
With an acceptance rate of 15.3%, the law school has 1,002 people enrolled. A typical JD class consists of roughly 300 students per year. UVA Law’s classes are medium sized compared to those of the other T14 schools, enabling students to reap the benefits of having an extensive network of colleagues while receiving more individualized attention.
Post-graduate status
UVA Law’s Class of 2021 bar passage rate was around 95%, and close to 100% of the school’s recent graduates are working in positions that require passing the bar. Typically, around 20% of a graduating class will clerk, and several UVA Law alumni have clerked for the US Supreme Court.
Faculty
UVA Law employs more than 250 faculty and boasts many prominent law professors, such as national security expert Ashley Deeks and free speech expert Danielle Citron.
What Does the University of Virginia School of Law Offer?
First-year curriculum
In their first year of studies, students take courses on the following topics: civil procedure, contracts, criminal law, tort law, legal research and writing, constitutional law, and property. Each semester, students take two of these courses with their “small sections” consisting of roughly 35 students, which enables them to get to know their peers on a more personal level. In the second semester, students take two electives. The “Legal Research and Writing” course, which spans the entire first year, helps students develop their research and writing skills in both academic and professional settings. As is typical at other law schools, students must also complete a legal professions course before they graduate.
UVA Law offers more than 250 courses each year. Some have more than 100 students, while others have ten. Many classes revolve around lectures, with one end-of-semester exam determining the student’s grade. Other courses are seminars whose grades are based on papers and class participation. Lecture courses often cover such standard legal topics as family law, trusts and estates, and corporations, while seminars usually cover more niche subjects including food law, electronic discovery, and legal theory.
Writing and experiential requirements
UVA Law requires students to complete six experiential credits. They must also fulfill a writing requirement before graduating by submitting either one major paper for a course/independent study or two smaller papers for separate courses.
Clinics
UVA Law’s 24 clinics deal with typical legal issues such as criminal defense and immigration law as well as less traditional legal areas including health law and entrepreneurial law. The school’s Innocence Project, which investigates cases where DNA evidence could prove someone was wrongly convicted of a crime, is one of the most prominent clinics in the nation. Through these clinics, students can work on legal issues on campus or across the world.
Student clubs
The 65 student organizations at UVA Law cover many different types of legal and social issues. Notable clubs on campus include the Virginia Law Wine Society and the Virginia Law & Business Society.
Journals
UVA Law publishes ten journals, including the Virginia Law Review and the Virginia Tax Review. The school’s journals give students the opportunity to publish their own writing, participate in conferences and symposiums, and edit papers from leading academics.
Centers
UVA Law has 25 centers and programs, including the Center for International & Comparative Law and the Center for Criminal Justice. The school’s centers organize events, publish papers, and advocate for positions on related issues. Students can participate in these centers by assisting with events, conducting research, and completing externships.
Class of 2025 Acceptance Rate and Statistics
During the last application cycle, UVA Law received 6,067 applications, and 315 students ultimately enrolled.
Of the Class of 2025,
- 50% are women.
- 49% are men.
- 1% are nonbinary, transgender, or gender nonconforming.
- 40% are students of color.
- 67% worked after graduating from college.
The Class of 2025 represents 38 states and Washington, DC, as well as 131 different undergraduate institutions.
In terms of statistics,
- For the LSAT, the 25th percentile was 166, and the median was 171. The 75th percentile was 173.
- For undergraduate GPA, the 25th percentile was 3.69, and the 75th percentile was 3.99. The median GPA was 3.94.
- UVA Law also accepts the GMAT and the GRE but has not released any data on the percentiles for these exams.
Class of 2021 Post-Graduation Statistics
According to UVA Law’s recent employment report, of the 318 graduates in the Class of 2021,
- 312 accepted jobs.
- 311 were working in jobs that require passing the bar.
- One was working in a position where passing the bar is helpful.
- One was attending another graduate program.
- Four were looking for jobs and were unable to find one.
Of the graduates working at law firms,
- 83.2% were at firms with 500 or more attorneys.
- 5.1% were at firms with 251 to 500 attorneys.
- 2.8% were at firms with 101 to 250 attorneys.
- 3.3% were at firms with 51 to 100 attorneys.
- 0.05% were at firms with 26 to 50 attorneys.
- 2.3% were at firms with 11 to 25 attorneys.
- 2.8% were at firms with two to ten attorneys.
University of Virginia School of Law Application Requirements
- Application and application fee
- LSAT, GRE, or GMAT
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
- Official undergraduate transcript
- Resume
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
- Optional addenda
UVA School of Law Application Details
Application
UVA Law’s application typically opens at the beginning of September and closes at the beginning of March.
Letters of recommendation
Applicants must submit a minimum of two letters of recommendation, but the maximum is four. UVA Law strongly encourages applicants to submit at least one letter of recommendation from someone in an academic setting. If you have been out of college for a long time, you can use an employer for both.
LSAT/GRE/GMAT
If you submit scores for the GRE or GMAT, you must send in all of your scores, as you would with the LSAT.
Resume
Make sure you customize your resume for your UVA Law application. Use professional and consistent fonts, avoid small page margins, and do not exceed one page. As far as content, avoid jargon so the admissions committee can easily understand your accomplishments, and be sure to balance your work experience with law school–related skills. Your resume should include sections on your education, experience, and personal information.
Personal statement
UVA Law’s personal statement is relatively open ended. Applicants have the option to write about their accomplishments, goals, and experiences—or “any way in which [their] perspective or experiences will add to the richness of the educational environment” at UVA Law, according to the school’s website.
Optional addenda
Applicants also have the option to submit statements on such topics as diversity or why they are specifically interested in UVA Law.
UVA School of Law FAQs
What if I attended a low-ranked undergraduate institution?
As long as your college is accredited, its undergraduate ranking does not matter. What matters more is your undergraduate GPA.
If I take time off between college and law school to work, do I need to do legal work?
No. Any kind of work between college and law school will be considered work experience, including internships, volunteer work, a desk job, or working in the service industry. However, you should be ready to discuss your work experience if asked about it during a law school interview.
Is UVA Law looking for applicants with a particular undergraduate major?
No. The school accepts students from a variety of academic backgrounds.
I have a low GPA but a difficult major. Will UVA Law overlook that?
Generally, no. Law schools are primarily interested in your overall undergraduate GPA. They will allow some flexibility for applicants with particularly difficult majors, such as a STEM major, but this will not excuse a low GPA.
Does it matter when I apply?
Applying early decision often helps improve an applicant’s chances, but it is binding. For regular decision, given that UVA Law follows a rolling admissions process, it might help you to apply earlier because that is when the most spots are available. After December, spots tend to fill up quickly. If you think you can improve your LSAT/GRE/GMAT score by taking it one or two more times in the fall, remember that substantially increasing your score will help your chances a lot more than applying a few weeks earlier.
Do I need to take time off between college and law school to work in order to gain a competitive edge?
Although having work experience might help improve your odds of acceptance, a lack of work experience is not a deal breaker. It’s difficult to quantify how much work experience helps. If you have competitive stats and you want to enroll immediately after completing your undergrad studies, you should not feel that you need to take time off to work.
Are you considering applying to UVA Law? Whether you are looking for comprehensive law admissions consulting, hourly help, or perhaps interview prep, we at Stratus Admissions Counseling can help you! Sign up for a free consultation today!